- For the British poet and historian of that name
from 1882–1958, see Sir John Squire.
| John Squire |
Squire playing his
iconic Gretsch |
| Born |
November 24, 1962 (1962-11-24) (age 44)
 Broadheath
Altrincham
England |
| Genre(s) |
Indie rock
Rock |
| Affiliation(s) |
The Stone Roses, The
Seahorses |
| Label(s) |
Silvertone Records, Geffen
Records |
| Notable guitars |
1964 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman
(Walnut)
Hofner T4S (Custom Jackson Pollock Paintjob)
1960 Fender Stratocaster (Pink)
Gibson Les Paul
Fender
Jaguar Custom built by Stuart Palmer (Two models built, one in white,
one in sunburst |
| Years active |
1984 - Present |
| Official site |
www.johnsquire.com |
John Squire (born John Thomas Squire
on 24th
November, 1962)
is an English
songwriter,
guitarist
and artist.
Squire is best known as a member of the influential, indie-rock band The
Stone Roses, in which he formed a songwriting partnership
with Ian
Brown. After leaving The Stone Roses he went on to found The
Seahorses and has since released two solo albums.
As a contemporary of Johnny Marr of The
Smiths, Squire was amongst the most accomplished British rock
guitarists of the 1980s, known for his chiming melodies, spiraling
riffs and live solos.
|
Contents
- 1 Early
Life
- 2 The
Stone Roses
- 3 The
Seahorses and solo career
- 4 Artwork
- 5 Intentions
for a Stone Roses Reunion
- 6 Trivia
- 7 Discography
- 8 External
links
|
Early Life
Squire was born in Broadheath, Altrincham,
near Manchester,
England. He grew up on Sylvan Avenue in Timperley and after attending
Heyes Lane Junior School, he passed the 11+ exam and went on to attend
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, where he met Ian
Brown. They formed a close friendship during their teens
bonding over a shared love for punk rock.
The Stone Roses
In the early 1980s Squire and Brown founded a rock band that
eventually became The Stone Roses, with
Squire as lead guitarist from 1984 to 1996. The partnership between Squire and Brown
formed the heart of the band's lyrical and musical output.
The band became one of the most influential acts of its era.
Their 1989 eponymous debut album
quickly achieved the status of a classic in the UK, and topped NME's list of the
Greatest British Albums of All Time.
Band infighting and rumoured cocaine abuse led to his departure from the
band on April Fool's Day 1996.
The Seahorses and solo career
Picking three unknowns, Squire formed a new band, The
Seahorses, in 1996. The band's only album Do it Yourself
was released in 1997.
The Seahorses disbanded due to creative differences in 1999. It has
been pointed out that the band's name is an anagram of 'he
hates roses', but whether this was intentional is disputed.
Squire released his first solo album, Time Changes Everything
in 2002. A
concept album followed in 2004 entitled Marshall's
House.
Artwork
Besides music, Squire is also a well-known, published artist.
His artwork has adorned album covers and promotional posters for his
and the Stone Roses' music. In the 1980s, Squire's artistic style was
heavily influenced by the action painting technique of Jackson
Pollock. In recent years, Squire has shown a broader use of mediums and
has incorporated newer influences to his work. One of his artworks
formed the cover for Travis's 1997 release U16 Girls.
In 2004, Squire held two well-received art
exhibitions in London
and Manchester.
Intentions for a Stone Roses
Reunion
Although it has been over a decade since he left the Stone
Roses, Squire allegedly has a lasting feud with ex-bandmate Ian
Brown. In a 2005 Q magazine article, Squire blasted
Brown, claiming "When he (Brown) was stoned, he was at best a tuneless
knob and at worst a paranoid mess" (this was in response to queries
about what had gone wrong with the Second Coming recording sessions, and
the state of Brown's vocal due to his marijuana habits). Although both
Brown and Squire have performed Stone Roses songs in their solo gigs, a
band reunion seems unlikely. Surprisingly, in May 2005
Squire hinted at intentions for a Roses reunion at Glastonbury
that year. This should be taken in context - at least three former
members have not ruled out (as opposed to actively
confirming anything) a reunion, but all have post-Roses musical
careers, and there has been little meaningful contact between Ian and
John since 1996 (John has reportedly sent Ian a box of Maltesers, a
throwback to a Christmas tradition of theirs from childhood, at an
attempt at reconciliation).
John Squire was interviewed in-depth in June 2007 by Dave
Haslam on XFM Manchester radio and discussed his current work as an
artist/painter, and the (un)likeliness of a Stone Roses reunion,
claiming that even if Ian Brown phoned him and asked if he would be up
for gig, he would turn the offer down[1].
Trivia
- Squire made an appearance alongside Oasis
at their legendary Knebworth concert, playing guitar on Champagne
Supernova.
- His favourite album of all time is Revolver
by The
Beatles.
Discography
Albums
- Time Changes Everything
(2002) # 17 UK
- Marshall's House
(2004)
Singles
- "Joe Louis" (2002) # 41 UK
- "Room In Brooklyn" (2004)
Live Albums/EPs
- Time Changes Everything Live EP (Japan only)
(2003)
External links
| The Stone Roses |
| Ian
Brown - John Squire
- Mani - Reni
Pete Garner - Andy Couzens - Robbie Maddix - Aziz
Ibrahim
|
| Discography |
| Albums:
The Stone Roses
- Second Coming
- Stand Still
(live) |
| Related
articles |
| Madchester
- Britpop
- John
Leckie - The Seahorses |
